Keep your old clothes long enough, and they come back in style again. Your old hooptie might be just a couple years away from "classic" status. Even the craziest ideas gain some credence over time simply because they haven't been forgotten. Seems there's no limit to what time will redeem.
The Free Design, a quartet of siblings from upstate New York, began creating their idiosyncratic sunshine pop in 1966, signing quickly with Project 3 Records, the label founded by beloved big-band weirdo Enoch Light. From the very get-go, The Free Design's music stood as being in its times but not of it. There were plenty of vocal groups like Peter, Paul, and Mary or The Mamas and The Papas who were claiming space on the pop charts. But none of them quite had the blend that The Free Design had, and none of them were even 5% as daring in their harmonies.
Part of this has to do with the background of the four Dedrick siblings--Chris, Bruce, Ellen, and Sandy--who made up the group. They were raised in a musical family; their father, Art Dedrick, was a big-band trombonist/arranger who eventually branched out into music publishing, founding the Kendor publishing house. With a strong jazz background like that, it's no wonder The Free Design's harmonies were as complex and beautiful as they were, calling to mind some of the great vocal jazz groups like the Hi-Lo's and the Swingle Singers.
In 1967, the group released its first single, "Kites Are Fun." It quickly established a signature sound for the group--tight, pure harmonies; quirky instrumentation (it opens with classical guitar and recorder); a lyrical obsession with themes of childhood; and a gentle, low-key yet driving feel. The single bubbled near the bottom of the Billboard charts but got strong airplay in some markets--notably, upstate New York.
The album Kites Are Fun soon followed, featuring a mix of Chris Dedrick originals and well-chosen cover songs. A sense of innocence and whimsy permeated their sound. But underneath it all there was incredibly sophisticated music--the counterpoint singing on "Never Tell The World" rates at least a "don't try this at home" warning.
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